An interactive MBA class activity. It effectively combines theory (Family Life Cycle, modernity, decision making roles) with local context and practical marketing applications.
Written by Maxwell Ranasinghe- Corporate Trainer
Date: 27.12.2025
Format: Small Group Collaborative Story Creation
Learning Objectives:
To apply the Family Life Cycle (FLC) stages in a real world, culturally specific context.
To visualize the dynamism of family decision making roles over time.
To analyze the interplay of internal family dynamics and external market forces.
To develop targeted marketing strategies for different FLC stages.
Part 1: The Setup & Team Brief (10 Minutes)
Introduction:
Families aren’t static; they are stories unfolding over time. Today, we become storytellers and strategists. We’ll follow one Sri Lankan family, the Pereras, through their consumer life journey. Your task is to imagine their story and then think like marketers trying to reach them.” You need to connect multiple concepts (FLC, decision roles, environmental analysis, marketing mix) into one multi stage story. Use local contexts (Colombo, economic crises, climate crisis, education anxiety, family values, culture) making theory immediately applicable. This exercise is designed to move you beyond passive listening to active creation. Together, you will co-create a case study that narrates the theory in a practical setting. Finally, you will appreciate your own creativity and well crafted story.
The Family Profile
The Couple: Bimal (30) and Kumari (28) . Bimal is a Software Engineer, educated at the University of Melbourne (Australia). Kumari is a Marketing Manager, educated at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Both are now successful professionals working in Colombo. They Start theri married life together in a rented apartment in Bambalapitiya, Colombo District.
Key Elements to indicate Into Your Story:
1. All Stages of FLC: Young Singles → Newly Married Couples → Full Nest I (young child) → Full Nest II (older child/teen) → Full Nest III (young adult child at university) → Empty Nest I & II → Solitary Survivor.
2. Shifting Decision Making Roles: Who leads/influences decisions on holidays, cars, schools, insurance, technology, and groceries? How do Kumari’s local and Bimal’s international exposure play out?
3. Internal & External Factors:
Internal: Joint income vs. separate accounts? Major purchases (car, house). Support for extended family?
External: Economic crises (e.g., 2022), inflation, cultural festivals (Avurudu, Sinhala & Tamil New Year), social media trends, globalization, climate crisis, sustainability
4. Marketing Strategies: What kind of advertising, channels, and messaging would work at each stage?
5. Contemporary Issues: Digital banking, sustainable/”green” consumption, work from home lifestyle, health & wellness trends, rising education costs.
Part 2: The Group Activity “Build the long, involved story,( family Saga) spanning periods of different FLC” – (25 Minutes)
Teams: Divide the class into groups
Task: Each group is assigned 2- 3 consecutive FLC stages (e.g., Group 1: Young Singles/Newlyweds; Group 2: Full Nest I/II; etc.).
Instructions:
1. Create the Narrative: Brainstorm and write a short, engaging story for your assigned stages. Give the family members names, aspirations, and conflicts. Be creative but realistic!
Fun Twist: Each story must include one unexpected, funny consumer incident (e.g., Bimal insists on buying a high tech smart fridge made in Chinese that only speak Chinese and English commands, confusing Kumari’s mother who cannot understand Chinese nor English)
2. Identify the “Marketing Moment”: For your final stage, identify one major purchase decision the family is making (e.g., buying their first car, choosing an international school, investing in a retirement plan, booking a family holiday to Australia).
3. Prepare a 3 Second “Pitch”: As if you are a marketing agency, prepare a quick pitch on how you would market a specific product/service to the Perera family at specific stages. Consider channel, message, and key appeal.
Part 3: Presentations of stories (15 Minutes)
Groups present their stories in chronological order of the FLC.
This sequentially builds the complete “Perera Family Saga” on the whiteboard.
Each group ends their presentation with their 3 second marketing pitch.
Instructor’s Role: Facilitate, ask probing questions after each presentation (e.g., “Why did you make Kumari the decider for the school choice?” or “How did the cultural expectation of supporting parents factor into this decision?”).
Part 4: Debrief & Theoretical Linkage (10 Minutes)
1. FLC & Consumption Patterns: “How did the family’s ‘shopping basket’ change dramatically from Stage 1 to Stage 5?”
2. Decision Making Dynamics: “When did we see syncretic (joint) decisions? Husband dominant? Wife dominant? When did the child become the influencer or decider? How did education/background shape this?”
3. The External Environment: “Which groups brilliantly wove in economic or cultural factors? How did these factors override personal preferences?”
4. Marketing Strategy Evolution: “How did the proposed marketing channels evolve – from Instagram ads for newlyweds to newspaper ads or Facebook community groups for older stages?”
5. Contemporary Issues: “Which groups integrated modern issues like sustainability or digital finance? How does this reflect the changing Sri Lankan consumer?”
Conclusion: “The Perera family is a dynamic system. As marketers, we cannot use a static snapshot. We must understand the story they are in – the stage, the roles, the pressures, and the dreams – to be truly effective.”